Week on the Farm – September 11, 2016

Today has been busy, ending a busy week. The huge line trimmer was hauled out yesterday and Jim went after areas in need, around the well head, around the yard hydrants, patches that have too many rocks to mow with the tractor. Today, I used it to go around the garden, woodpile, and coops. That upset the young cull chickens who all managed to escape, one into the garden, one vanished for a couple of hours, the other four herded back into their pen. The one in the garden was caught and returned, the errant wanderer came home and was herded back into his pen. Last weekend, son, eldest grandson, and I killed and butchered B’rooster and Mean Girl. I thought I would miss the morning crowing and did for only a couple of days. One of the youngsters is trying out his voice, an immature croaking rooster crow. As most, if not all of the culls are cockerels, we will surely hear a lot more of that before November, when they too are sent to freezer camp.

This week has yielded a batch of Habeñero sauce, another batch of sweet chili sauce, applesauce, and Ginger Pear Conserve, all prepped, cooked, and canned. Lots of goodies to add to the pantry shelves in the root cellar.

Tonight after dinner, daughter, the grands and I went to the garden, harvested a half pillowcase full of popcorn, 5 gallons of tomatoes and hot peppers. Once inside, the popcorn was set aside to dry out for winter enjoyment, the tomatoes were stuffed in freezer bags and popped in the freezer so they can be peeled and canned later this week, the Tabasco peppers were de-stemmed, pureed in salt water and set to ferment to make Tabasco sauce in a couple of weeks. The jalapeños were packed in another pint jar and hot salted vinegar poured over them to begin pickling. The habeñeros packed in freezer bags, I just can’t face more hot sauce right now. A few anchos begin the drying process to be used in enchilada sauce once they are leathery dry.

Today, the gift was finished. Pictures of it will have to wait until the recipient receives it.

Sometime this week, I will pull the 5 bags of Roma tomatoes out of the freezer and they will be peeled, chopped and made into canned tomatoes, chili tomatoes, and pasta sauce. There will probably be a few more harvests of them before they quit. The pepper plants are beginning to bloom thickly, so many more peppers are expected. I think the Tabasco and Habeñero plants will be pulled, as we just don’t need any more of those peppers. The Thai peppers are beginning to turn red, I need to find a good use for them. The Jalapeño and Ancho plants need more space and removing the other plants will help provide that. The dye seed sunflowers need to be cut back before the birds eat them all and the raspberry canes need to be trimmed and weeded. I still have tomatillos to harvest, but they being transplants are just getting going.

Today was cooler and the week ahead is supposed to be seasonable, so more outdoor work will be done.

Now I can pull my spinning wheel out and begin to spin some of the lovely fibers that have been accumulating.